Half marathon training

[ChimChimeny]

I can comfortably run 10k & have decided to run a half marathon a year from tomorrow.

So! When should I start training for it? Do I need to plan or shall I just keep trying to run further each time I go (currently only once a week but can do twice)

Thanks

I really like these plans

www.cancerresearchuk.org/get-involved/find-an-event/training-for-an-event/half-marathon-training#Halfmarathonaccordion0

but I don't think you'll need to use a plan until 12-16 weeks before your planned event.

I think you'll need to run a little more often - and each week aim to have one (very gradually increasing) long easy/steady run, one run with 'challenge' - hills, tempo/threshold, structured intervals or fartlek, and one where you just run (maybe parkrun?) And ideally a session of strength and conditioning.

If you've never done an event before, sign up for a couple of 10ks - it's useful training and you'll also get a feel for how events are organised, which means it won't be so strange when you come to your Half

10k to HM is fairly easy. As a minimum to just complete you could do it in about 5-6 weeks, 7mi, 8mi, 9mi, 10mi and a gentle taper week.
Building up more gradually and getting more long runs in does make race day easier. My first HM plan went from 5k to 10mi over 12 weeks of training.
Until you're ready to properly train it's probably worth extending your long runs a bit more. If you have the time, 8mi is a nice base level without eating too much time and the gap from 8mi to 13.1 is not too bad.

My running varies through the year and I tend to do 2-3 HMs a year. I keep 10k as my base fitness through the year and then it's easy to increase it again when needed.

If you keep your base fitness (eg being able to run 10K for example) then a 12-week plan would be more than enough. Any longer than that and your risk becoming bored of following a plan.

If you can, at least for the period of the plan, increase your running to 3 times a week it would make the experience a bit more comfortable for you.

You could easily do one in spring next year. 10k to HM is easy compared to the effort it takes to get to 10k in the first place.

Unless you're waiting a year for a specific reason, I would find a suitable race, and pick up a 12-16 week plan and just start. That way you have some leeway for illness/Christmas/busy periods. If it takes you 15 weeks to do a 12 week plan that is totally fine.

Agree that you'll manage the distance training easily in that time - be you could make good headway on improving speed if you wanted to but it would mean adding in at least 1 shorter session a week.

I also like finding random smaller races that happen to fit around my training.

I use this

findarace.com

I think giving yourself a year is plenty. You might find doing one earlier is actually better so you’re not training and doing your longest runs through summer?

Thanks everyone for the help.

The reason why it's a year because it is the local one and I'll be doing it with my friend, but if there was one over spring/summer then I'd do that too.

I.Could run 3 times a week but at the moment I do boot camp weekly so still a work out but not running. I could probably do 3 runs and boot camp, I'd just be knackered

I definitely like the idea of longer runs when it isn't hot, I struggled a lot to run more than 3/4 miles over summer when it was baking hot, and can only do early morning runs at the weekend.

you could make good headway on improving speed

I'd like to do this, my predicted time on one of the links above was 2 hours 7 mins but I'd love to do it in under 2 hours (I'm quite competitive!) . I'd hope the crowds in the would help, my recent 10k was virtual and it's just not the same.

I'd say a crowd buys you at least 5 minutes on a half

A speed training run is deliberately short but hell!!! I HATE them but they're very effective.

I would do speed repeats but you can do hill running if you've got a good one nearby.

So basically for a 2 hour half I think your speed pace needs to be 7.30 or 8 minute miles but (after a warm up jog) you do that for 30 secs then jog for a minute then repeat for about 20 minutes or until you collapse in a heap then cool down jog.

Next time, reduce recovery run to 30 secs.

Then build up speed session to 45 secs / recover 45 etc

I've got a Garmin smart watch which has training plans on or you can load speed repeat workouts etc which means it's much easier to keep track of what you're supposed to be doing .

@FusionChefGeoff I live at the top of a big hill with a steep approach and a slightly less steep approach so I'll make the most of it!

I use Strava so I can time myself on that and use the hill as well

Same principle then - slow jog to warm up then just up and down the hill as fast / many times as you can bear before cooling down.

My local hill is pretty mega and I've found a really thumping house track that lasts slightly less time than it takes me to do the hill. When I'm proper training I try to beat the track to the top - I find it very motivational but haven't managed it yet!!

I followed the BUPA half marathon programme, and it was really effective